Apparatus for crimping synthetic filaments



July 19, 1960 H. FREIBERGER APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING SYNTHETIC FILAMENTS Filed April 5, 1956 INVENTOR. 52mm 535185546? rates atent ifi fi Patented July 19, 1960 APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING SYNTHETIC FILAMENTS Herman Freiberger, Glen Rock, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Elwood Research Company, a Division of Audiger, Inc, Newark, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 5, 1956, ser. No. 576,466

2 Claims. c1. 28-1) abandoned.

While various methods and means have been employed for crimping cellulosic filaments and filaments of nylon, vinyl resins, and in general synthetic polymerization substances offiber forming ability, such methods are characterized by various limitations. For example, twisting methods are limited in the number of filaments which may be twisted together to form suitable crimps, the toothed roll method in connection with the crimping of cellulosic substances have been limited in the number of crimps per unit length of filament, chemical shrinkage methods involve the cleaning of the filaments, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for crimping artificial filaments. It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for controlling the degree of crimp in artificial filaments. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means whereby the crimping of artificial filaments may be accomplished easily, selectively, and simultaneously in a large number of filaments.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a partly schematic and partly crosssectional exaggerated View of an apparatus according to this invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a partly cross-sectional and partly schematic view of a modification of the invention, and

Figure 3 illustrates a bottom view along lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

According to the invention it is contemplated to physically condition extruding synthetic filaments during the extrusion thereof prior to and during the solidification of the filaments, whereby the so conditioned filaments upon contact with a cooling or coagulating medium are caused to assume a state of substantially uniform residual sinuous stresses which upon further processing of the filaments, including relaxing, cause the filaments to assume a crimped condition.

Referring to Figure 1, a portion of a melt spinning apparatus is shown including a conduit 1 having an extrusion head 2, e.g. a spinnerette, through which the melt material 3 is extruded in the form of a plurality of filaments 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in conventional manner through spinnerette holes 4', 5', 6, 7', 8', and 9 into a cooling bath 10 in container '11. Likewise in known manner, the extruded filaments are subjected to cooling gas such as air by means of gas conduits 12 and 13 or the like, whereby the filaments are chilled and thereafter pass into the cooling liquid 10 and over guide means 14, 15, 16 and 17 and upwardly therefrom over a guide roll 18, over tension rolls 19 and 20 and onto a winding reel 21.

The invention is primarily directed to the improvement of attaching to or contacting the spinner head,

especially the spinnerette 2, directly or indirectly with a suitable vibration means 22, for example an electrically energized vibrator or an electrical transducer either in the form of a piezoelectric member or a laminated nickel plate whereby electrical energy supplied by source 24 is transformed into mechanical elastic vibratory energy, and thereby imparting vibration components to the spinnerette proper or by means of a transmitting member 23 interposed between the spinneretteand the source of vibration. It is possible by means of electrically energized vibratory means to control or regulate the amplitude and frequency of the vibration so that the proper vibratory amplitude may be selected in accordance with the spacing of the spinnerette orifices so that optimum vibration of the spinnerette does not cause merging of the extruding filaments. Moreover, since the extruding filaments may extrude at a substantially high rate, and since the filaments are separated from each other under at least some tension, it is possible to employ uniform vibration in the supersonic ranges at desirable amplitude to all of the individual filaments simultaneously, whereby said filaments are in a vibrating condition or conditioned by the vibration so as to cause a state of substantially uniform residual sinuous stresses in each filament. Since the electrically induced vibration is characterized by substantially uniform frequency and amplitude, this condition is imparted to the vibratory components which'induce substantially uniform vibration stresses which remain residual in view of the immediate or subsequent chilling and cooling of the filaments into the solidified state. Also, the said vibration of the spinnerette tends to maintain the spinnerette orifices free from clogging by the viscous mass.

Having subjected the extruding filaments to vibration as aforesaid, the cooled filaments are provided with a high degree of substantially uniform stresses along the length thereof and which may be controlled as to stress pitch or stress occurrence to provide for a subsequently developed high degree of crimp in accordance with selected vibratory frequency. Thereafter, the cooled and so conditioned filaments are continuously passed over the guide roll 18, over the tension rolls 19 and 20, which cause a tension on the filaments which are thus oriented in solidified form as is known to the art. The tensioned filaments are then continuously wound on the winding reel 21 until a suflicient quantity thereof has accumulated thereon.

Thereafter, the winding reel 21 is removed from the operation and a new winding reel substituted. The wound filaments on reel 21 are permitted to relax preferably directly on the reel itself, which is adapted for the relaxation of the filaments and whereon the filaments contract with the attendant formation of a highly crimped state with the crimps controlled as to degree of crimpage in accordance with the degree of stress imparted thereto by the above described vibration.

In order to permit the crimps to develop on the reel itself either under normal relaxing conditions or with a crimp setting heat treatment, the reel 21 is adjustable in that its effective winding diameter is reducible so as to permit relaxing and crimping by relieving the winding tension of the wound filaments.

While Figure 1 shows the vibration producing means 22 directly or indirectly connected to the spinnerette 2 for conditioning extruding filaments, it may also advantageously be employed to vibrate oriented filaments, e.g. nylon filaments, as particularly illustrated by Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 shows a reel 25, e.g. a bobbin or the like, supported on support 26 and having yarn 27 wound thereon. The yarn 27 passes into a heating chamber 28 containing a guide means 29 or two guide means 29 and 30 having spaced passages 31 and 32 respectively, whereby preferably separated strands 33 of yarn 27 are guided in separated relation to each other and effectively heated by heating means 34 on the walls 35 of the chamber 28. The heated strands 33 pass outwardly of said chamber thmu h id Pas a 3 A ra i transmitting mber 36 having spaced guide passages 37 for receiving said strands 33 is positioned in a location substantially imrnediately following said guide means 30 so that vibrations imparted thereto by means of the vibration producing member 38 energized by a source of electric energy 39 act upon. the passing strands 33 While in heated condition and whereby sinuous stresses are imp r ad t th sa strands in co an w h h scr bed w th espec t Figure S b tan i l y i mediately following, or during, the vibration of the s ra he ai s a d a e pre e chi le or oo d y a edin a mm sqnduits a 1% n th after preferably passed into a cooling bath 42 in container 43.

he v atiq t ss d ra s ere Pas u wardly of saidbath over guide rolls 44 and 45 and then to the wind up reel 46, wherefrom the stressed strands are preferably treated such as by relaxing and/or heat treatingfor setting the strands with the consequent formatiqn of crimps in said strands.

While the drawings illustrate specific structural embodiments in accordance with the invention, various modifications are intended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for crimping strands of synthetic polymerizable substances comprising a heating chamber for said strands, strand guide means positioned at an end of said heating chamber, said guide means having a plurality of spaced passages therethrough, a vibration transmitting member having spaced passages formed therethrough and positioned'imrnediately forward of said guide means and a vibration transmitting means connected to said vibration transmitting member, whereby said strands are vibrated in passing through said guide means.

2. Apparatus according to'claim. 1, comprising a chilling means positioned immediately forward of the vibration transmitting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS on "nu-1 

